Happy Tail

[Guest RooMomma]

Every once in a while I have noticed blood flecks on the walls or the cabinets in the mud room. I have searched each and every dog all over, and never found a source. Today when I came home from errands, I saw it again, and more than before. Again, checked and checked, no one was bleeding!! Then Cricket lay down and was half roaching when I realized it was the tip of her tail!!!

 

The area has always been "raw" looking, but never open. It was something I was going to have the vet look at during our appointment on Monday anyway. I have never dealt with "happy tail" personally, but I have heard others struggle with it. It is an area hard to bandage up, and there is no way to immobilize it. I have heard of cases that were so bad, the tail ended up being partially amputated.

 

Does anyone have any advice how to keep this under control??? It is minor now, and I don't want it to become out of control. TIA

[Guest LittleGreys]

At the vet clinic where I work, we see a few cases of happy tail (non-Greys). We have had sucess with putting the end of the tail in an empty syringe case and then taping it on. We have only had one dog that kept chewing it, and had to have an amputation. That wouldn't be a long term solution, of course.

[Guest MorganKonaAlex]

I haven't dealt with it either, but read about someone using plumbing pipe insulation (grey foam rubber type stuff) to protect the tail to heal.

[PatricksMom]

If it's a very small wound, you could use that bandaid wound glue. Patrick got happy tail, from the amount of blood on the walls I thought it was going to be a huge gash, but it ended up being very tiny and the wound glue kept it from reopening.

[Guest crazy4greys]

Use a pink hair roller bought at any drug store and cut it lenth wise like a hot dog bun.

 

Put on some neosporin and insert the tail and leave space at the end so the tail it not right at the end.

 

Wrap it up with elastikon or another type of sticky bandage and leave covered for 3-4 days, then change.

[Batmom]

Any of the above bandaging methods will work -- hair curler foam, empty syringe case, pipe insulation, or a gauze pad and some vetwrap. I put the Elastikon (sticky tape) @ 6" up the tail from the wounded area -- you will need BANDAGE SCISSORS to get it off. You want the bandage to be light in weight so that it doesn't try to fly off when pup wags.

 

And, you want to keep bandaging for a good 3-4 weeks after you're 100% sure it's 100% healed. You want the scar to toughen up before it gets exposed to greyhound abuse again.

 

Good luck!

[Guest spider9174]

ditto to whats been said. i've been treating a foster of mine for happy tail. you have to keep it wrapped until there is hair on it and the scab is gone. if you unwrap the tail too soon, it will get reinjured easily. here is a website that's really good.

 

http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/b..._happy_tail.htm

[Guest RooMomma]

Thank you so much for all the great ideas. It is always good to have a few to try out!

[Guest albrodie]

all great suggestions. just don't get frustrated. you're in for a long haul of bandaging. Dottie's tail was injured at the tip pretty badly when we got her but we kept it bandaged and it finally healed. i guess the scar is really tough or something because the tip of her tail is a major weapon now!! good luck.

[plepkowski]

About a 1 foot length of pipe insulation keeps it cushioned and reduces the wagging speed and repition rate. Let it extend a couple of inches beyond the end of the tail.

 

This stuff comes in four foot lengths and various diameters to fit 3/8 inch to 1 1/4 inch copper pipe. Buy an assortment of diameters.

 

 

[Guest RV4Greys]

One thing that we learned is that you need to be careful how much tape/wrapping you put on the end of the tail as not to make it too heavy for your pup.

 

[Guest charmsmom]

Our kennel director actually uses (TMI warning) tampons to protect the tail, absorb the blood, and let the tail breathe. It's not a bad idea if you think about it...

[Guest Vinnie]

We agree with Charmsmom as that's also what our trainer suggested as well. It stays on well, cushions it and absorbs blood and/or ooky stuff. Sending quick healing thoughts and scritches.

Edited January 8, 2008 by Vinnie

[Guest mom2two]

My girls have both suffered with this from time to time since I first got them and it is incredibly frustrating to try to bandage (although the hair roller offered more protection, it also made the hound more aware of something being on their tail and therefore more determined to dislodge it) - what I did find however is that preventing it was the easiest option.

 

Whenever mine have developed it; it has been because the place where they are most likely to get excited was quite enclosed i.e in a passageway near a door. I've avoided this by strategic placing of dog gates to ensure that when mummy comes home and those tails are going mad - they have nothing to batter against.